For seniors, a fundraising frenzy

• Seniors

Marilyn Briesacher, left, and Blanche Reichert are leading the effort for this weekend’s garage sale fundraiser at the Rambling River Center, Farmington’s senior center. The sale is one of several efforts coming up soon.

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Part of the banquet room at Farmington’s Rambling River Center was lined with tables on Monday morning, each loaded with a growing collection of towels, board games books and other items donated in anticipation of next weekend’s garage sale.

There was more to come, but, well, was no room just yet. The seniors still needed the room for line dancing.

This is a busy month at Rambling River Center, the city’s senior center. The garage sale will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 and 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 16. There will be a waffle breakfast Oct. 24.

That’s what it takes for the seniors, who agreed to raise $6,000 a year when the city decided to turn its old city hall building into a new senior center. It’s meant several years of steak frys and omelet breakfasts, kitchen socials and fashion shows.

“It’s surprising what we’ve done here,” said Blanche Reichert, one of the people in charge of organizing this weekend’s garage sale.

Marilyn Briesacher, her garage sale partner, agreed.

“We have to be creative as seniors with what we can do,” she said. “We can’t expect seniors to be out selling door to door.”

For now, though, the focus is on the garage sale. Veterans of several similar sales at Farmington Lutheran Church, Briesacher and Reichert agreed to take over the Rambling River Center sale last year after the first sale at the center overwhelmed staff.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s also enjoyable,” said Briesacher. “You really feel when you get out and do these things you meet a lot of people.”

Briesacher and Reichert know the secret to a successful garage sale is having good volunteers and good products. They already had a good crew of volunteers Monday morning. They were sorting through donations and putting things in place. This year’s sale already has a good selection of books and clothes, and Briesacher and Reichert expect more children’s clothes this year than at previous sales.

“We try to tell people, if it isn’t something you would buy, why would someone else,” Briesacher said.

Last year’s garage sale raised $900 despite happening on the same day as some other events. This year organizers hope to collect at least $1,000.

For the seniors, it will be worth the work. They’re happy with their new building, and they like having the chance to show it off.

“I think it’s an asset to our community, because if you don’t furnish these kinds of things for seniors, they go to another community that has them.”

Tags: news, seniors, farmington